


The one where Richie plays piano

by cracked_plate



Series: ‘The one where’ series [2]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, But it was inspired by a song, Dialogue Light, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Richie Tozier Has ADHD, Richie Tozier is a Mess, Soft Richie Tozier, Very little dialogue, Yikes, am i sorry? no not really, because I say so, i cant believe i spent four hours writing this trash, im a sucker for fluff tbh, like not really, richie plays the piano, stozier if you squint, this is partially a song fic, this is purely to make me feel better about seeing IT chapter two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-24 21:38:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21106415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cracked_plate/pseuds/cracked_plate
Summary: this is purely just because i need a story where Richie plays piano.





	The one where Richie plays piano

At ten years old Richie Tozier was diagnosed with ADHD. This was no surprise considering the fact that anyone could see how hyperactive the boy was, constantly tapping his fingers and talking faster than his brain could keep up with. He was unable to sit still for long periods of time, his mind ran a mile a minute, and he couldn't focus on much of anything he was doing. They'd only taken him to the doctors after it started affecting his grades because they knew he was smart, the problem was just that he couldn't quiet his mind enough to be able to remember new information.

At eleven years old Richie started taking Aderall. The medicine didn't magically cure his ADHD, but it dampened the symptoms enough and his grades started going back up (they found out he was above grade level in most subjects, and started him in AP classes once he reached seventh grade.) and he could sit through dinner and classes without much trouble. He still used the voices and cracked stupid jokes, because he couldn't just _stop_. It was the 'Tozier Brand' and he'd insisted that it would be a tragedy to deprive anyone of his humor.

At twelve years old Richie had decided he liked the way a piano sounded. At this point he was over Bill Denbrough's house (one of his best friends since he was six, the other being Stanley Uris) almost every day, the two biking there after school together. Usually Stan would tag along too, and all three of them would watch movies or go to the quarry with their newly acquired friends (Eddie, Mike, Ben and Beverly. They'd bonded over the fact they were all bullied by Henry Bowers and his friends - a bit odd when you think about it). When it was just him and Bill though, they'd sit in the living room sprawled on the couch and read comic books while Bill's mother played the piano in the room over. Richie often found himself listening in, the soft melody ringing in his ears for hours after he went home and he found himself sometimes humming it quietly while he was doing trivial tasks like cleaning up after dinner or reading his comics. His parents had taken notice and gotten him some cassette tapes for his walkman for his birthday.

At thirteen years old Richie asked to take piano lessons. He'd been contemplating asking his parents for a while, but he finally asked three days before his birthday ('can i start taking piano lessons? you don't even have to get me anything else, that can be my present this year! please?'). Maggie and Wentworth had been a little hesitant at first because he still couldn't spend too long on one thing without getting antsy, but in the end they gave in, deciding it wouldn't do any harm. He'd been so excited that for the next week up until his first lesson he was _extra_ nice to his parents because he didn't want them to cancel last minute. They would never, but '_just in case',_ he'd say. He hadn't told his friends because he was afraid they might think it was too girly, so for the next few months he left them to wonder why he was busy on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays after school every week - if he did go over, it was always after four. He never thought he would willingly learn when he wasn't in school, but here he was. 

At fourteen years old Richie got his own keyboard piano. They were planning on waiting for his birthday, but ended up setting it up in his room a couple months early after seeing how well he did on his report card (all A's and B's. He'd been so excited to show it to them). If they thought he spent a lot of time in his room before, it was nothing compared to now. Occasionally they'd hear soft piano music drifting down the hall from his room late at night when he was too anxoius or antsy to sleep, but they never said anything which he was grateful for. He knew a couple of simple songs now, nothing extravagant, but he was proud of himself. His parents were too, they were prouder than he'd ever know. He'd been over Bill's for dinner one night and asked Mrs. Denbrough what songs she liked to play on piano. She'd gladly indulged him in the conversation, smiling knowingly at him when he asked. Bill had looked confused through the entire conversation, asking Richie about it while they were changing into their pajamas that night. Richie had waved it off with a 'I was just curious, she plays all the time'.

* * *

Richie was now sixteen years old and knew a plethora of songs on the piano.

'He's a quick learner, that one' his teacher had told his parents a year after he'd started taking the lessons. The comment had made him flush pink in embarrassment, but his parents just smiled. 

He was currently sitting at the piano in Bill's living room while waiting for the rest of the losers to get back, playing a soft, familiar tune. Georgie was taking a nap in his room and Bill's parents were out, but they'd allowed him to have his friends over for the night. They'd collectively agreed on wanting snacks, but someone had to stay back in case Georgie got up, so he'd offered to stay behind.

He hadn't expected them back for a little while (the pharmacy was about five minutes away on bike) but apparently they must have forgotten something, because not even two minutes later they were all trying to push their way in front of each other to get through the front door. Richie's fingers froze where they hovered above the keys, looking like a startled animal. He blinked a few times, simply staring at his friends who stood there, staring back.

"Uh...did you really miss me that much?" He asked jokingly, hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt in his lap. 

After a moment of silence, one of them asked "When the fuck did you learn piano?" and it was like the dam broke, all of them asking their questions at once.

"Bill's mom really trusts you to not break that thing?" That was Eddie, the little shit. (Richie rolled his eyes at this, mumbling something about needing new friends.)

"You didn't tell me you were taking lessons!" That one was Beverly - the only female voice in the small group.

Stan ignored the others and smiled softly at him, shuffling forward and shoving Richie over enough so that he could sit down too. He pressed down on a few keys experimentally, letting their shoulders and knees bump together gently. This didn't make Richie blush at all. Really, it didn't. Not even a little bit. "I told you they'd find out eventually. I don't even understand why you tried hiding it." 

"Listen, Staniel, I wasn't _hiding_ it, I was just...not telling them."

"That's literally the same fucking thing."

"No it's - "

"You knew?" Eddie asked incredulously, cutting them off with his eyebrows furrowed.

Bill rolled his eyes at Eddie. "Of c-course he knew. They've buh-been friends since like s-s-second grade." The teen stuttered, seeming a bit put out by how much he struggled on his 's' still. He'd been taking speech therapy every Thursday for the past two months, and while not perfect, he'd definitely improved. 

"Been taking lessons since I was thirteen. What can I say? I like me a good piano." Richie replied, snickering softly under his breath. They took that better than he was expecting. Then again, he wasn't even sure _what_ he'd been expecting their reactions to be. If after they'd gotten back from the store he played the Jeopardy song for a solid five minutes while waiting on them to pick a movie and make the popcorn - well, that was nobody's business but theirs. 

**Author's Note:**

> its fluff because im sad and cant handle anymore angst or death. please im t i r e d  
this is probably going to become a series where i make unpopular headcanons into one-shots


End file.
